I don’t know if you have ever gotten to experience a newborn foal – but wow! they are just like newborn babies – constantly amazing you with their sweet ways. And one of the things I love seeing the foals do…..is sleep. That’s right – sleep. They start by lying down (usually after visiting the milk bar a few times), and then that head gets heavy, and starts nodding down to the ground….and then they just melt over into a flat puddle on the ground. I say flat, because, within their first weeks, they are so “narrow” if you will, that when lying on their sides in the grass, it is difficult to see them unless you are pretty close. I can’t tell you how many times I have been out checking on our herd, and I can’t see where the newborns are – you know they are somewhere in the vicinity of those watchful dams, but until you get closer, you don’t know exactly where. As you get nearer, sometimes you will see a little tail flick up above the grass…..”oh, there you are!” …..but isn’t it interesting that God designed them to be “flat” when sleeping…..not only can we not see them – but they are invisible to predators too…..no chance of anything stalking them out when they are so vulnerable – especially not before mom can have a say in the matter. So, I admit it, I am intrigued by sleeping foals! Watching their little nostrils flare in and out, seeing a lip get hung open on a grass clump as they laid over, and those little ears that flick naturally if any fly attempts to land there……I think it is all pretty cool stuff!

They had to be – and it just happened. We find it happens still here at our farm. This last week we fenced off a new paddock out front – which created a nice run for horses in training. The paddock was first shredded – which cut back the weeds that were threatening to seed and the grass that was toughening from the heat. The shredding also spread the manure droppings from our Fjord and Chincoteague Pony colt that had been boarding there – and that in turn will fertilize the land. Then a huge oak that had died a few months back was downed, to prevent it’s eventual crashing down on a fence, and a huge stack of firewood was put away for winter. (I must add here that Charles is a beast with that chainsaw of his!) If that is not multi-tasking, I don’t know what is! The new paddock looks great too! Yesterday was vaccination day! I vaccinated and wormed 24 Curlies, 5 Chincoteague Ponies, and one Norwegian Fjord almost single handedly! Charles did help me out with our two older range mares – they still possess such a sense of wildness, and I certainly wouldn’t rob them of that right at this age in their lives!
All the foals are growing and doing well…..and I discovered some exciting news – one of those older Warrior mares is in foal! I had doubted that she had been bred, but yesterday I discovered I was wrong! Not only did she have an unusually “oval” shape to her abdomen(which can be pretty common for an older unbred broodmare on pasture anyway), but she is also showing udder development! How exciting this is – as I was hoping for one more foal from this excellent mare before being retired from our broodmare band. I have been working her yearling filly – Navajo Rose – in halter for the last few days, and what a fun filly she is – light and willing, and smart as can be! I will keep my fingers crossed that this next foal will be just as special!
And the last event of the day – Aren Daego was weaned, and his dam, Grace was turned back out to the field to finish growing that *Angel’s Spirit foal she is carrying! I can hardly wait for that one!!! More about this exciting young stallion later!!!

Growing up!

And another fun note about yesterday – Caden! Wow, that colt just amazes me! He is absolutely so doggone laid back – so much fun to be around. He is not halter broke – I have never worked him in halter at all – but I have put a halter on him about 3 times, and led him from one pen, across the road, and into another pen, and each time, he behaved as though he WERE halter-broken! Just amazing!! And yesterday with all the horses being brought up for the vaccinations/worming, I needed the extra pens, so I tied Caden to one of the tree ties, and he stood there for at least 5 hours, and never even worried for a minute! Now that is a good solid mind!!! Curlies are awesome!!!

Stag Creek Farm

Farming and raising horses have run in my blood since before I was born! And in 1998, a rare breed - the Bashkir Curly Horse entered my life. What a blessing to get to live my dream with these incredible horses! Hope you enjoy the stories and adventures of life on the banks of Stag Creek!